Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-12-28
HISTORIC SILVERWARE.
Contents of the Private Dining Room in
the White House.

1H0 private NlnlHp room, OF LnaL IN
which the family residing in that house
take their meals on all save state occa-
sions, and in which. when they desire
to have q few friends dine with them
informally, the meal is served, is one Of
the handsomest rooms in the building
It and the red parlor are the only ones
on the first floor which suggest by their
furniture and ornaments the apartments
for similar purposes in the homes Of
people of wealth and taste. The East
Room, the Blue and Green parlors, and
the state dining room all have stiff,
ceremonious air, as if made for show,
and call to mind the pariors Of finely
furnished hotels, Which are not expected
to be used as living rooms by any one.
But in modern hotels. of the best class
one does not see woodwork about doors
and windows painted in colors, as was
done six years ago in the Blue Parlor,
and remaineth to this day bright
glaring blue, which, there being much
of it beneath and around the windows,
spoils the tints of every thing else in the
parlor.
Some of the most really elegant fur
niture in the White House is in the
private dining room. The sideboard Of
elaborately carved mahogany, made for
the room, and purchased by Mrs. Hayes
when mistress of the mansion, is there,
and likewise the side table and buffet
made by President Arthur's orders out
of the dining table (also of carved ma
hogany, which had been made by Mrs.
Hayes orders at the same time as the
sideboard), and in similar style.
President Arthur complained that
the carved legs of this table when he
sat at it for meals hurt his legs, so he
had it divided and fashioned into the
two pieces of furniture just named, and
replaced it with large round table,
which is still in the room, and stands
in the centre, and on it meals are
served. Two very old wooden side
tables, with highly polished surface, are
against the walls in this room. Side
lights, wholly made of the finest glass
globes, brackets, pipes, and all of
fine rose shade, are affixed to the walls.
The wall paper and the carpet are very
handsome, and harmonize with the
furniture. as the curtains do likewise.
The china, silver and glass on the
sideboard, buffet and table would de-
light the taste of connoisseurs for their
quality and form apart from their in
trinsic value and the associations that
cluster about them. 1t speaks we'll for
the honesty of White House employees
that solid silver and gold table ware
has remained there SO long-ffty years
and upward, some of it. Chance visi-
tors are never admitted to this room,
for all day, when President is living
in the White House, all these valuables
are exposed on the tables, etc., in this
room. Some of the silver was used
during Monroe's administration. Some
of the china in use since, as it was dnr-
ing Lincoln's term, is there; 1t is white,
with Solferino border, and is gener-
ally put on the table when the family
dine alone or have but one or two
guests. Part of the elaborate china.
service made and decorated to ordeH'
bought by Mrs. Hayes while in the
White House, is arranged on the buff
fets, and some Of the larger plates are
fastened on the walls.
Of the Monroe silver there Is a whole
service all of solid silver. Among the
pieces, all of which have beautiful
shapes, are two soup tureens with COW
ers. The tureens are affixed to large
| oval-shaped, fat-bottomed stands,
spreading beneath them like walters
These stands and tureens are all in one
piece. There are silver cake baskets,
gravy boats, urns for coffee, tea and
hot water, and water and syrup pitch
ers. There are fine glass claret jugs
with silver tops, and tea-kettle OF
FURNISHED brass over lamp for alco-
hol.
All the silver is very substantial look,
ing. The silver Hiawatha boat, used
as central ornament for the table on
state occasions, stands on the buffet
| This was bought at the Centennial Exr
| position of 1876.
Mr.. Van Buren's gold spoons and
forks, which were lively campaign
issue while he was President, are also
on the buffet. They are very plain in
deed, and. like all the silver, are
marked Presidents House,
All these valuables are carefully
watched, for the steward of the White
| House is responsible for them to the
Government. He gives heavy bond
on taking his place, and all the furnt
ture, ornaments and other United
States property in the building is un-
der his charge, and he is directly re-
sponsible for their care and preservs
tion. No President takes to the Exec
utive Mansion his own or his wife's sill
yer, glass, china or household linen. as
all these things are provided by the
Government, and private property
must not be mixed with them.
The wedding presents made to the
President and Mrs. Cleveland are at
Oak View, as well as their other per